It could be said that these design-minded social businesses add a bit of something else to the triple bottom line, that is, creativity. Art-focused entrepreneurship often don't get enough attention; it's the sexy tech start-ups that are the cool new thing -- and that often translates into investment opportunities.
Here, aesthetic expression is key because design-minded social businesses consider the creative process as key to a way that they fulfill their environmental and/or social goal. From family-owned apparel companies to pro-bono design companies and positive impact promo companies, doing things differently -- whether socially or artistically -- is part of the mindset of these social entrepreneurs who founded these organizations. But all of the features here aren't web design or companies or promotional tools, some use fashion design as their product.
45 Design-Minded Social Businesses
45
Necklace-Like Scarves
Necklush Donates Some Profits to a Holistic Cancer Treatment Center
44
Punchy Coco-Fiber Doormats
Sustainable Company Reed Wilson Design Has a Sense of Humor
43
Peruvian-Printed Footwear
Inca Boot Company Employs Craftspeople in Peru
42
Found Material Jewelry
KORA Designs Worked with Artisans in Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana
41
One-for-One Backpacks
Schoolbags Follows the Popular TOMS Shoes Model
40
Energy-Generating Tees
'Live. Breathe. Grow.' is a Women-Focused Company Using Lightness
39
Casual Children's Cause Clothing
'ever/after' is a Brand That Reflects a Californian Lifestyle
38
Design-Focused Social Products
Matter Inc. Creates Products Helping Local and Global Communities
37
Sustainable Sound Systems
Vers is a Cubed Bluetooth Audio Accessory Company Made out of Wood
36
Destroyed Architecture Art
Beyt by '2b design' is a Social Enterprise Employing the 'Unemployable'
35
Family-Owned Social Businesses
Yala is a Lifestyle Company with Ethical Clothing and Accessories
34
Ethical Metal Jewelry
Arabel Lebrusan Uses Recycled Gold and Silver in the Design Process
33
Block-Printed Artisan Clothing
Mata Traders Fuses Style and Ethics with Fair Trade Cooperatives
32
Pro-Bono Design Companies
'verynice.' is a Consultancy Social Business Based in Los Angeles
31
Worker-Owned Web Design
CoLab Coop Works Collaboratively for Social Enterprises
30
Animal-Printed Children's Clothing
Barley & Birch Offers USA-Made Organic Cotton Duds
29
One-for-One Wooden Eyeglasses
Anni Shades Plants a Tree for Every Pair Sold
28
Recycled Cardboard Toys
Paperpod Offers Eco-Friendly Furniture and Playhouses
27
Chromatic Children-Supporting Prints
Fresh Words Market Creates Simple Designs for Philanthrophy
26
Charity Choosing Tees
PIF Apparel Allows You to Choose Which Charity to Donate To
25
Rainforest Jewelry Collections
ORG by vio Sells Creative Goods by Indigenous Amazon Artisans
24
Shelter-Providing Jewelry
Eden Ministry Supports Women with Employment, Education and Clinics
23
Bolivian Co-Op Clothing
Artesania Sorata Creates Artisan Goods and Employs Women
22
Education Aiding Accessories
Mend Handbags Help Rehabilitate the People of Uganda Through Study
21
Craft-Based Apparel
Nuinani is a Hawaiian Business with Organic Material and a DIY Ethos
20
Compelling Online Retailers
Fashion ComPassion Sells Brands with a Socially Conscious Mind Frame
19
Handmade Humanitarian Goods
BHcrafts Works with Women Displayed by the Bosnian War
18
Animal Shelter Long Boards
The Hendrick Boards Allow You to Skate Right into the Hearts of Animals
17
Women-Owned Web Design
YIKES, Inc. is a Competitive and Sustainable Business
16
Community-Serving Shorts
Streaker Sports Supports Programs in Local Underserved Areas
15
Poverty Non-Profit Prints
The Fresh Words Market LIFT Collaboration Says 'Be Fearless'
14
Heart-Branded Tees
Good Int. Commits to Social Responsibility with Its Soft Apparel
13
Recycled Map Wallets
Mighty Wallet Takes Intricate Recycled Paper & Makes 100% Biodegradable Goods
12
Geometric Fair Trade Towels
Nashprint Creates Tea Towels to Provide Employment in Southern India
11
Fair Trade Work Attire
Arthur & Henry Creates People and Office-Friendly Shirts for Men
10
Red Nosed Charity Tees
The Stella McCartney for Comic Relief Tees Support a Poverty Free World
9
Education-Providing Apparel
Young Love Outfitters Captures the Hearts of the Residents in Africa
8
Plant-Based Cleaning Products
Ecover Creates Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products with a Twist
7
Ethical Sewing Workshops
Afesip Fair Fashion Creates Design and Clothing Products in Cambodia
6
Scholarship Sunnies
Blenders Eyewear Supports College Education for U.S. Youth
5
Positive Impact Promo Products
Ad Spice Promotional Marketing Uses Earth-Friendlier Products
4
One for One Eyewear Lines
The Warby Parker Do Good Initiative Provides Reading Glasses to the Poor
3
Equitable Community Designs
The Hester Street Collaborative Fosters Local Resiliency
2
Animal Habitat Consultancies
Acer Ecology is a Social Enterprise Working All Over the UK
1
Pruning Preservation Enterprises
Acacia Tree Surgery Works in Both the Public and Private Spheres
Related Ideas
Sustainable Play Clothes
Peace House Studio Designs Are Made to Be Recycled
Woman-Owned Eco Totes
Digital Avenue is a Woman-Founded Spunky Tote Bag Brand Based in Toronto
Ethical Fashion Empowerment
Risa Vancouver Partners with Indian Artisans for Sustainable Bags
Innovation-Focused Furniture Design Collectives
Haworth Launches DesignLab to Push Innovation
Luxury Ready-to-Wear Brands
KZ_K Studio Has a Unique Approach to Fashion, Inspired by Architecture
Sustainable Denim Brand Collabs
Amber Valletta X Triarchy Marry Sustainability with Style
Playful Contemporary Offices
Studio ANTIPOD's Tenderly Office Boasts Japanese Design Accents
Timeless Knit Apparel
Toronto-Based Mudança Clothing Offers Elevated, Romantic Pieces
Social-Centric Wireless Earbud Concepts
Kusi Boateng-Arthur Introduces the Social Earbud Concept
Conceptual Craft Beer Bottles
Sour Glass Encourages Thoughtful Drinking Experiences
Community-Driven Retail Stores
Stone Island's Munich Store Emphasizes the Importance of Community
Novel AI-Generated Product Designs
Arcade Introduced a Transformative AI Product Creation Platform
Immersive Wellness Experiences
Othership Pioneers Emotional Wellness With Immersive Experiences
Purposeful Empowering Apparel
Living Life on Purpose: Connecting with Customers through Clothing
Eco Storytelling Workwear Campaigns
Patagonia's We Can Get There From Here Tells is Inspiring
High-Tech Eco-Conscious Furniture
The WoodenWood Project Upcycles and Utilizes Robotic Printing
Creative Play Pop-Ups
The Sharpie Studio Offered Opportunities for Creativity at SXSW
Digital Sustainable Food Solutions
Special Projects Debuts Eco Lenses to Help with Decision-Making
Eco-Friendly Offices
Office@27 by Sanjay Puri Architects is Enhanced by Ancient Indian Principles
Ayurveda-Inspired Yoga Products
Mindful Collective Co. Unveils b, halfmoon
Gen Z-Centric Campaigns
Urban Outfitters' Shift Happens Campaign Has Three Phases
One-of-One Clothing Collections
mmERCH Uses Generative Design to Create "Neo-Couture"
Retail Overconsumption Campaigns
Coachtopia's 'The Wasted Parts' Explores Overconsumption Culture
Creativity-Centered Workshops
Gap's Workshop Initiative Empowers Local Makers in San Francisco
Female-Led Swimwear Brands
Bydee Embodies Creativity, Resilience, and the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Arts and Crafts-Inspired Homes
Rural Office Designs the Middle Avenue House in Surrey
Resurrected Used Smartphones
Think Tank Team Makes Artifacts with Project Afterlife
Japanese Inn-Inspired Apartments
Intheory Design Creates an Apartment Inspired by Ryokan
Mindful Athletic Brand Initiatives
Nike's 'Wellness Collective' Promotes 5 Key Wellness Pillars
Sustainability-Driven Fashion Campaigns
pitusa's Sustainability Campaign Focuses on Reducing Waste
Stunning Mid-Century Coastal Homes
Design Theory Updates a House from the 1960s
Immersive Textile Boutiques
100% Silk Shop in Toronto's Downtown Core is Sustainable
Tactile Fashion Boutique Designs
FOG Architecture Designs a New Xiaozhuo Store Location
Industrial Design Exhibits
Design Burger Hosted a 'Design Dialogues Exhibit' in London
Welcoming Bank Designs
Ester Bruzkus Architekten Designs the Headquarters of PSD Bank
Sustainable Shoe-Trading Platforms
New Balance Joins the Resale Space with 'Reconsidered'
Sustainable Artist Endeavors
CASETiFY Launches a New Artistic Upcycling Project Called Re/CASETiFY
Circular Fashion Pop-Ups
The Coachtopia Pop-Up Brings Luxury Circular Fashion to Gen Z
Upcycled Circular Design Products
Cyrc Designs Expansive Products with Sustainable Themes
Modern Minimalism Apartments
Between the Walls Designs the Old&New Apartment in Kyiv
Vacation-Inspired Clothing Lines
Saint Holiday Emphasizes Sustainability & Ethical Manufacturing
Perception-Challenging Art Exhibitions
Raise the Moral Studio Presents the Becoming Familiar Show
Revamped Museum Brand Identities
The Brooklyn Museum Has Updated Its Branding Aesthetic
Legal Office Renovated Designs
Snarkitecture Updates Jayaram's New York Offices
Energy-Efficient Office Buildings
This Czech Office Complex is Outfitted With Eco-Friendly Designs
Circular Fashion-Enabling Partnerships
Coach and Poshmark's Collaboration Makes Buyer Resale Easy
Textile Fashion Exhibitions
New Order of Fashion Presents Regeneration: Fashion From The Ground Up
Avant-Garde Coffee Table Books
New Society Hosts 'Decentralization, Please Save Culture' Event
Townhouse Transformed Retail Spaces
Schemata Architects Designs the Le Labo Kyoto Flagship
Vibrant Adaptable Workplaces
Ester Bruzkus Architekten Designs a Modern Workspace for Relaxound
Sustainable Furniture Capsule Shops
Light and Dwell Open up a Store of Furniture Designs
Open IP Shoe Initiatives
Thesus Opensources Sustainable Footwear Design to Drive Industry Change
New-Generation Artful Urban Hubs
IED and CampusX Join Forces on the Pixel Project
Juxtaposing Themed Furniture Designs
Ogmma Designs the Empírea Series of Furniture
Transformed Historic Bank Buildings
Ivy Studio Overhauls the Interior of a Historic Building
In-House Minimalist Apparel
Crescent’s Contemporary Women’s Clothing for Timeless Elegance
Eco-Minded Workout Wear
H&M Unveils a Sustainable Activewear Line to Combat Fast Fashion
Waste Tarp-Made Public Seating
The Membran Collective Joins the Urban Networks Project
Gamified Custom Kidswear
Supermix Studio Empowers Kids to Create Their Own Apparel & Accessories
Community-Centric Office Spaces
Shubin Donaldson Architects Designs the Tricon Residential Office
Chic Contemporary Fitness Studios
Jaybird Emphasizes Mindfulness and Accessibility
Eco-Friendly Indian Fashion
Latin Quarters Debuts a Stylish Capsule Using Sustainable Practices
Limited Art Apparel Collections
House Industries Launches the Autotype Series of Art and Apparel
Communal Social Health Clubs
STUDIO K Designs the BIÂN to Celebrate Third Anniversary
Luxe Car-Focused Residence Designs
Erin Sander Design Creates the Greenway Parks Home
Engaging Youth-Focused Platforms
V&A Introduces the Mused Website for Gen Z Digital Natives
Femininity-Exploring Boutique Hotels
Estudio Carroll Designs the Xique Boutique Hotel
Inflated Dynamic Design Exhibitions
Vienna Design Week Hosts the Series Exhibition this Year
Equitable Design Capsule Exhibitions
Objective Studios Showcases the Calm Place Exhibition
Eco-Conscious Production Facilities
Soorty Enterprises Achieves SBTi Validation for Its Eco Goals
Whimsical Bright Creative Workspaces
Publicis Groupe's New Workspace is in New York's SoHo
Hospitality-Centric Tech Headquarters
MAWD Designs the Interiors of a Tech Company in LA
Aesthetic Stock Platforms
Dupe Photos Offers Social Media-Style Imagery for Modern Brands
Accessible Mixed-Reality Media
Chapter 2 Welcomes New Society to Revolutionize the Media Frontier
Affordable Deadstock Apparel
SHEIN Ventures Into Sustainable Production with a 30-Piece Capsule
Women-Supporting Clothing Brands
'Sozy' Aims to Support Women and Victims of Violence
Sustainable Luxury Knitwear
Sheep Inc. is Pioneering Sustainable Luxury in Merino Wool Knitwear
Circular Fashion Docuseries
The Road to Circularity by Coachtopia Shares Sustainability Challenges
Boldly Designed Rentable Apartments
Linda Boronkay Highlights Boldness for the Sessile
Locally Focused Visionary Tableware
IKEA's Design Lab Presents the New Products of Place Campaign
California-Inspired Gallery-Style Stores
Studio FB Designs the New Frame Store in London
Natural Material-Focused Headquarters
Superlimão Designs the Escritório da Engenharia HQ
Brutalist-Inspired Serene Restaurants
Future Simple Studio Reimagines the Sushibox Establishment
Forest-Protecting Fashion Brand Initiatives
Canopy Leads an Initiative To Save the Forests
Woven Upholstery Textile Capsules
The Elemental Wright Collection Highlights Organic Architecture
Community-Driven Clothing Companies
'Bombas' Makes a Donation for Each Item Purchased
Bridge-Defining Tranquil Cities
BIG Studio Showcases the Plans for Mindfulness City
Affordable Lifestyle Directories
'I Have This Friend' Makes Aspirational Living More Accessible
Creatively Repaired Garment Collections
TOAST Emphasizes Sustainability in New Capsule
Content Creator News Sources
Creative Brew Offers Daily Insight and News for Content Creators
Sustainably Designed Mumbai Offices
Sanjay Puri Architects Designs the Office@27 Workspace
Tranquil Grounded Design Bathhouse
Futurestudio Designs a New Othership Location in New York
Stunning Sustainable Pottery Designs
Apapacho World Embraces Traditional Hand-building Techniques
Recycled Phonecase Art Installations
Casetify Creates Public Displays for Journey to Re/Birth
Sustainable Brand Certificates
b, halfmoon Recently Became a Certified B Corporation™ (B Corp™)
Elegant Artful Townhouses
Jorge Brown Cott Designs a New Art-Centric Brooklyn Townhouse
Sensory-Enhanced Workspace Designs
Design ni Dukaan Elevates Workspace Design in Various Senses
Poetic Habourfront Nature Centers
3XN Created the Centre for Coastal Nature and Sport Fishing
Traditional Sustainable School Designs
Heatherwick Studio Showcases Plans for Universidad Ean
Geometric Colorful Residential Spaces
Office S&M Designs the Vibrant Graphic House in London
Earthy Community Arts Center
New Makers Bureau and Localworks Design the 32° East Arts Centre
Mix Cultural-Inspired London Extensions
Collective Works Designs the Mid Terrace Dream in London
Broken Bike Lock Furniture
Design Students Showcase the People and Places Exhibition
Artist Loft-Resembling Stores
Tutto Bene Took on a New Retail Design Project in Angel, London
Earth Brick Arts Center
Hassell and Localworks Design the Bidi Bidi Performing Arts Center
Contemporary Workwear-Inspired Fashion
Madhappy Debuted Its Utility-Focused Pre-Fall 2023 Range
Designer Residency Art Studios
Colony Presents Four New Studios from Residency Program
Niche Community Builders
Socially is the Community Builder Platform for Niche Creators Everywhere
Sustainable Eurovision Capsules
LJMU Fashion Students are Designing a Sustainable Fashion Capsule
Supportive Entrepreneurial Communities
The Zenpreneur Community Provides Resources and Support
Beginner Business Wisdom
Beginner Maps Uses Insights From Experts to Help New Businesses Thrive
Interconnected Design Retrospectives
The Polimi Design System Introduces INTERDEPENDENCE
Pottery-Inspired Artful Notebooks
Sutta Design Creates the Dynamic Kintsugi Art Notebook
Short-Form Fashion Competitions
#TikTokFashion Challenges Users to Create and Share Their Design
Music-Focused Social Media
Musicboard is a Place for Music Lovers to Unite
Niche Interest Social Networks
Spiral Social Was Inspired by Wikipedia Topics
Basketry-Informed University Facades
Heatherwick Studio Designs a Building for Universidad Ean
City-Honoring Furniture Projects
The Symbiotic Urban Furniture Project is Imaginative
Modernist Ceramic Lighting Series
Dumais Made Introduces the New Modern Bohemia Collection
Cozy Professional Office Designs
Mini Shodeinde Designs the Giant Ventures Office
Slogan-Detailed Graphic Tee Capsules
Soho Yacht Club Suggests to Do Something Nice Today
Natural Material-Transformed Artworks
Borrowed Earth Collaborative Uses Natural Materials for Art
Explorative Entrepreneur Ideas
Hustle Momumtum Invites You to Discover and Launch Side Hustles
Brightly Designed Studio Showrooms
Mestiz Opens Up a Workshop in a Historic Mexican Building
Virtual Entrepreneurial Workshops
autonom.me is Bridging the Gap Between Entrepreneurs and Makers
Digital Community-Branded Product Lines
The Girl Math Gang Debuts New Product Offerings
Asian Designer Furniture Exhibitions
This Year's Emerge Exhibition Marks the Third Annual Showcase
Shanghai Marketing Office Refurbishments
Linehouse Renovates an Office for The Independents
Intellectually Stimulating Social Media
Maven Goes Back to Basics with Traditional Algorithms
Customizable Digital Studio Platforms
Designtex Presents the New Digital Studio Tool Platform
Forest-Preserving Brand Initiatives
Three Prominent Chinese Fashion Companies Join Canopy
Nature-Inspired Design Objects
Students at Tecnológico de Monterrey Design the Plant-Based Series
Empowering Educational Initiatives
Sight School Empowers Individuals with Visual Impairments
Entrepreneurial Journey Insights
Founder Folks Teaches You How Founders Launched Their Business
Design-Led Lifestyle Brands
The John Lewis Partnership Unveils a New Lifestyle Brand and Tote Bag
Mental Health Community Engagement
OOt Social Health Recently Launched Its Application
Repurposed Imperfection-Embraced Buildings
Civic Architects & VDNVP Elevate a Series of Workspaces
Entrepreneurial Community Building
VenturePals Steps in to Help Solo Entrepreneurs Find Community
Groundbreaking Design Exhibitions
The Mindcraft Project Channels Progressive Bold Designs
Philanthropic Investment Banks
Builders Vision Helps Build a More Humane and Healthy Planet